Center for Disability Services gets glowing re-accreditation
report

May 16, 2000

KALAMAZOO -- The WMU Center for Disability Services, a program
of the College of Health and Human Services, received strong praise
in its recent re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation
of Rehabilitation Facilities.

The center received a three-year re-accreditation of its community
services--the most allowed. In addition, the center secured a
three-year accreditation for its new Oakland Drive clinic in the
category of medical rehabilitation-outpatient medical rehabilitation,
making it WMU's first CARF accreditation for an outpatient medical
rehabilitation clinic for persons with disabilities.

In a summary of its findings, CARF noted several of the center's
strengths. Among those were:

Strong recognition throughout the Kalamazoo private and public
human services community for integrity, credibility, reliability
and quality.

Staff members who are vigilant and creative in establishing
community service delivery access for consumers whose disabilities
offer challenging barriers to community living and integration.

A host of community access, treatment and nursing staff members
who are long tenured, well qualified by education and experience,
and who demonstrate genuine passion for the success of persons
receiving services.

A strong historical record of preserving the safety, well-being
and human rights of both the persons served and staff members.

CARF also commended the center's "exemplary conformance"
to high standards. In particular, the commission cited the center's
leadership "in creating a most successful collaborative partnership"
with other human service agencies; its outcomes and values-based
orientation "backed up by outstanding results" in clients'
lives; "an outstanding quality improvement initiative for
the total organization" that moved the organization away
from a top-down model of administration; and "staff member's
extraordinary commitment to the maximum integration of the consumer
into community life."

Other attributes CARF noted included the center's "superlative
commitment and adherence to consumer-centered medical treatment
and planning" and its "exemplary sensitivity to individuals'
cultural diversity."

"Needless to say, we are very proud," says Carol
Sundberg, center director. "We received two pages of compliments
and five exemplary performance ratings, which are rare and signify
national excellence for best practice."

Formerly the Center for Developmentally Disabled Adults, the
center was founded in 1981 and for many years operated as a center-based
day program for people with complex disabilities. Since 1991,
it has promoted community alternatives to traditional segregated
services.

"We believe people who experience a disability have a
valuable contribution to make to the community they live in,"
Sundberg says.

Starting last fall, the center began offering new services
through a contract with Kalamazoo Community Mental Health Services,
increasing options for people with disabilities and their families.
Those include respite services, home-based services and professional
services, including occupational and physical therapy.